Patna, Jun 19 (IANS): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday will inaugurate the new campus of Nalanda University in Bihar's Rajgir.
PM Modi in a post on X said the day is special for the education sector as the new campus would be inaugurated and would cater to the educational needs of the youths.
He said, "It’s a very special day for our education sector. At around 10:30 AM today, the new campus of the Nalanda University would be inaugurated at Rajgir. Nalanda has a strong connect with our glorious past. This university will surely go a long way in catering to the educational needs of the youth."
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and ambassadors of 17 nations will attend the event. The university's new campus is close to the site of the ancient ruins of Nalanda.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar will also be present with the Prime Minister.
This will be PM Modi's first visit to Bihar after the Lok Sabha election.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will plant a sapling of the Bodhi tree brought from Gaya.
During the Prime Minister's visit, tight security arrangements have been made.
PM Modi will arrive in Gaya by special plane and will reach Nalanda University by an Army helicopter.
The district police have barricaded both sides of the road from Rajgir to Nalanda for security purposes. All the hotels in the city have also been thoroughly checked.
Nalanda University Vice Chancellor Abhay Kumar Singh while describing the method adopted to build the university said careful techniques were adopted so that the new campus blended with the existing ancient structure.
He said that a pond was excavated for the construction work. Raw bricks were prepared from the soil obtained from the excavation which were not baked but prepared by compressing them after adding chemicals. Boring was not done for water in its construction work, rather the construction work was done by collecting rainwater in the pond that was specially dug for the purpose, said the Vice Chancellor.
"The world's largest library has also been built in this university. More than three lakh books and manuscripts will be kept there. Students from many countries are already receiving an education here," the V-C said.
“Preparations for the arrival of the Prime Minister have been completed. PM Modi will plant a Mahabodhi sapling on the university campus before the inauguration. The arrangement for which has been done by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar,” he said.
The foundation stone of Nalanda University was laid in 2016. "After a special initiative of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, 455 acres of land were acquired in Rajgir and handed over to the university administration,” Singh said.
Nalanda University has 24 large buildings constructed for Rs 1,749 crore.